Ball-point pen



Oct. 17, 1961 J scHwARzAuGL BALL-POINT PEN Filed April 7, 1959 FIG. 7

lNVENTORI -70 55F flaw/ 0061 sa ig w L s "i JI- 3,004,521 BALL-POINT PEN Josef Schwarziiugl, Stein, near Numberg, Germany, as-

signor to A. W. Faber-(Install, Stein, near Numberg, Germany Filed Apr. 7, 1959, Ser- No. 804,708 Claims priority, application Germany MayZZ, 1958 4 Claims. (Cl. 120-424) The present invention relates to a ball-point pen. structure which. is provided with a tubularcasing with a ball point insert therein and which is mounted in'the bore of the casing. It is one of the objects of the invention. to provide means affording the design of the front end of the casing to permit a resilient transverse movement of the tip of the aforesaid insert toward one side, while at the opposite side the tip of the insert is rigidly mounted. It is an important advantage of such structure and arrangement pursuant to this invention. that it permits a ballpoint pen to be used either for writing with the insert in a rigid position or for writing with one and the same insert in an elastic or yieldable position. in which the insert can be elastically displaced in a direction transverse to the axis thereof.

For avoiding a rigid mounting of a ball-point insert in the tubular casing thereof, there have already been disclosures of prior devices in which the insert is mounted within a tubular casing so as to be" elastic either in the axial direction or in the transverse direction in. order to permit an elastic writing. One structure of this kind reveals an elastic connection between the tubular casing and. the tip of the insert in the form of a conical spring or a'res'ilient intermediate member of rubber or aresilient plastic, or the like.

The other known structure of this kind shows a ballpoint pen with a ball-point insert which is adapted to slide rearwardly into the casing against the action of a spring.

Because of the elasticity in all directions, the first-mentioned embodiment only permits an elastic manner of writing. A rigid manner of writing which is preferably applied for making several copies is not possible with this known construction. With the other above-mentioned it is necessary for a rigid writing procedure to press upon the insert until it engages with a stop, which makes, however, the writing very strenuous. Furthermore, this known structure often reveals the disadvantage that the spring action will be effective only when the ball-point pen is held at a very steep incline to the writing surface since at a smaller angle of inclination the friction within the bore of the tip of the casing will become too large or excessive.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide meansc onducive to a ball-point pen structure which overcomes the above-mentioned disadvantages and is designed so that, depending upon the particular position of the pen, it is possible to select between a rigid manner of writing, for example, for making several carbon copies or an elastic manner of writing similar to that as done with a regular pen point.

This object is attained by devising the front end portion of the ball-point casing in such a manner that an elastic movement of the insert will be effective in one direction tranverse to the axis of the ball-point pen, while in the opposite direction the insert is rigidly mounted within the tip or front end of the casing. For this purpose, the front end or tip portion of the casing of the ballpoint pen is preferably made of two parts, one of which is rigidly connected to the rear part of the casing, while the other tip portion is movable transversely relative to the rear part of the casing against the action of a spring.

In order to give the user of the ball-point pen an indi- 9 tatcs atom cation as to the required manner of holding the ball point pen so as to attain. either the rigid or the elastic writing effect, the two parts of the tip of: the casing are marked accordingly. The mostsuitable manner of such marking consists in designing the resilient part of the tip portion in the form of a normal: pen point or at least provide it with a marking similar to such pen point, while the rigid part of the tip portion is made of a conical shape as usual in ball-point pens. The novel features described herein are applicable not only to ballpoint pens with a retractable insert and provided with a mechanism for pressing or feeding: the insert forwardly. but also to those with. a non-retractable insert.

These objects, features, and advantages will. become more apparent from the following detailed description of one preferred embodiment: of. this invention, which is to be read with reference to the accompanying drawing, in which- FIGURE L shows a cross section or the front part of a ball-point pen according to the invention, the section being takenv on an enlarged scale and in axial direction thereof; while FIGURE 2 shows a cross section taken along line 11- II of FIGURE 1.

The ball-point pen: as illustrated in FIGURES 1 and 2 consists of. a tubular casing 1 with a tip thereon corn sisting of two complementary parts" 2 and 3. T he rigid tip portion 2; is secured to casing 1 by beingscrewed: into the casing by means of thethr'eaded part 2', while the trans'versally movable tip portion 3' is provided with an extension. 3' which. is inserted into a recess 2 provided within the threaded part 2 The extension 3' terminates into an annular portion-3" which 'is preferably arranged soas to be pivotable about a. rocker edge or fulcrum 2" at. the upper end of the part2". At the inside of'casin'g I. and. of. the two-part. tip 2- and 3 the ballepoint insert 4 is provided which has the usual flange or abutment 4'. Between the fiange 4' and the annular portion 3", a coilccmpression spring 5 is inserted so as to surround the insert 4. The pressure of spring 5 acts at one side upon the annular portion 3" of the tip portion 3 and at the other side upon the flange 4' of the insert 4.

If the ball-point pen, as shown in the drawing is to be provided with a mechanism for retracting the insert 4, such retraction may also be carried out by spring 5.

If the ball-point pen when being used is held so that the tip portion 2 faces upwardly, insert 4 will be rigidly mounted since this portion 2 is rigidly secured to the casing 1 at 2' and therefore unable to yield in transverse direction of the axis of the insert 4. If the ball-point pen is held so that the tip portion 3 faces upwardly, the writing pressure will force the insert 4 toward and against portion 3, and this portion 3 will yield elastically because of the pivotable movement of the annular portion 3 about fulcrum or edge 2", whereby spring 5 will be slightly compressed.

If the lateral pressure upon the tip portion 3 diminishes because of a decrease of the writing pressure upon the insert 4, spring 5 will press the annular portion 3" in such a manner upon the rocker edge 2" that the two tip portions 2 and 3 will again be pressed together.

The above-described arrangement according to the invention may also be combined with an insert which elastically recoils in the axial direction.

Although my invention has been illustrated and described with reference to the preferred embodiment thereof, I wish to have it understood that it is in no way limited to the details of such embodiment, but is capable of numerous modifications within the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus fully disclosed my invention, what I claim is:

l. A ball-point pen having a tubular casing with a tip portion thereon and an axial bore within said tip portion, and a ball-point insert removably mounted within said casing and having a tip portion extending through and held within said bore, said tip portion of said casing comprising two complementary parts, one of said parts being resiliently mounted in said casing so as to be resiliently displaceable in a direction transverse to the axis of said insert whereby to permit the tip portion of said insert to yield resiliently in a direction transverse to the axis of said insert, the other part having a portion fixedly engaged with said casing to rigidly secure said tip portion to said casing whereby to rigidly support the tip portion of said insert in a position directly opposite to said direction and transverse to the axis of said insert, each of said two parts forming substantially one-half of said tip portion of said casing, the one part being provided with an extension, an annular part secured to the free end of said extension and surrounding said insert within said casing, spring means within said casing surrounding said insert and acting upon said annular part so as to press said one part resiliently against said other part, and the rear end of said fixedly engaged portion of said other part having a rocker edge, said annular part being pivotably mounted on said rocker edge, and said fixedly engaged portion having an aperture therein for receiving said extension.

2. A ball-point pen as defined in claim 1, wherein said annular part is provided with a rear end surface inclined to the axis of said insert so that said spring means will act upon said annular part so as to press said one part resiliently against said other part.

3. A ball-point pen having a tubular casing with a separable tip portion thereon, an axial bore passing from said tubular casing and through said tip portion, and a ball-point insert extending through said tubular casing and said bore of said tip portion and for removal therefrom, said tip portion being threaded into said casing and including two complementary parts, one of said parts of I said tip portion of said casing being constructed to permit the tip portion of said insert to yield resiliently in one direction transverse to the axis of said insert, said other part of said tip portion of said casing being threadedly and fixedly engaged with said casing thereby substantially rigidly supporting the tip portion of said insert in a direction opposite to said one direction and transverse to the axis of said insert, each of said parts of s'aidtip portion of said casing forming substantially one-half of said tip portion, said one part of said tip portionof said casing being provided with an extension, an annular part secured to one end of said extension and surrounding said insert within said casing, coil spring means within said casing surrounding said insert and acting upon said annular part, so as to press said one part of said tip portion of said casing resiliently against said other part of said tip portion of said casing, said other part of said tip portion of said casing threadedly engaged with said casing having a rear end provided with a fulcrum, said annular part being pivotally mounted on said fulcrum, and said one part of said tip portion of said casing having an opening for slidably receiving said extension therein.

4. A ball-point pen according to claim 3, said annular part being provided with a rear end surface inclined with respect to the axis of said insert, said spring means acting upon said annular part as to force said one part of said tip portion of said casing resiliently against said other part of said tip portion of said casing.

References t'lited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,565,667 Simoni Aug. 28, 1951 FOREIGN PATENTS 496,465 Belgium Oct. 16, 1950 56,857 France July 30, 1952 (Addition to No. 947,147) 885,070 Germany Aug. 3, 1953 

